MBS apologises after woman says she was ‘banned’ over unattended bike, bags near MRT station
A woman said she was left feeling “humiliated” after being told she was “banned” from Marina Bay Sands (MBS) following an incident involving her unattended bicycle and bags.
Stomper Kim Lee said the incident occurred on April 22 at about 12pm, after she had parked her bicycle near the Bayfront MRT station entrance outside MBS.
She said she was at The Club at the time when three security guards approached her.
“They asked if I had parked my bicycle outside the premises,” she said. “I apologised and offered to move it immediately.”
Ms Lee said she left her belongings behind and followed the guards to her bicycle, where two police officers were present.
“The police cleared my identity and told me not to park there again,” she said. “I apologised as I was in a hurry earlier.”
‘They told me I was banned’
Ms Lee alleged that the situation escalated when security officers told her she was banned from entering MBS.
“They told me I was banned and wanted to escort me to a holding room to speak to a manager,” she said.
She questioned the grounds for the alleged ban and declined to be taken to the holding room, though she remained open to speaking with a manager elsewhere.
“I felt humiliated being escorted out in front of other guests,” she said.
Ms Lee added that she is a regular patron of MBS and frequently holds business meetings and attends events there.
“I’m practically there weekly, so I was concerned about what the ban meant and how it would affect my commitments,” she said.
Ms Lee said the ban was later reversed after the case was reviewed, and that she received a call from MBS’ service management director apologising for the incident.
“I was told the security team lacked the ‘human touch’, even though they said they followed protocol,” she said.
Stomp understands that the incident began as a security concern after two unattended bags left on her bicycle were identified, which triggered a police spot check.
The request for her to proceed to a holding room was part of standard procedures, allowing such matters to be handled in a more private setting. However, as she declined to do so, security officers verbally informed her of the ban.
Following a review, it was assessed that there was no need to impose a ban and that the situation should not have escalated.
‘We hope to welcome Ms Lee back’
In response to a Stomp query, an MBS spokesperson said: “We have reviewed the incident and have conveyed our apologies to Ms Lee.
“What started as a security concern ended up as a customer service issue — and we regret that the matter was not dealt with in a more nuanced manner.
“We hope to welcome Ms Lee back on property again.”
Stomp has contacted the police for more information.
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